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First officer of an airbus A320 EA31 overshot assigned descent altitude due to misunderstanding of the newly assigned altitude sounding similar to his aircraft's call sign. Captain was out of the cockpit at time of descent clearance. ATC gave them their choice of a higher or lower altitude.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 391768 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mem |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 32000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : mem |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A310 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 111 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 256 |
| ASRS Report | 391768 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 112 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 720 |
| ASRS Report | 391770 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were cruising at FL370 en route to memphis. ZME directed us to descend to FL320. The captain had stepped out of the cockpit and I was flying the aircraft and manning the radios. I called out of FL370 for FL320 and began the descent. I leveled at FL320 just before the captain returned to the cockpit. He questioned why we were at FL320. I in turn confirmed our altitude with center. Center said that we had been cleared to FL330, and that we could either climb or descend to either FL330 or FL310. The rest of the flight was without incident into memphis. Contributing factors: our call sign en route to memphis was 'air carrier X heavy.' the altitude that I set in the window was FL320.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF AN AIRBUS A320 EA31 OVERSHOT ASSIGNED DSCNT ALT DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE NEWLY ASSIGNED ALT SOUNDING SIMILAR TO HIS ACFT'S CALL SIGN. CAPT WAS OUT OF THE COCKPIT AT TIME OF DSCNT CLRNC. ATC GAVE THEM THEIR CHOICE OF A HIGHER OR LOWER ALT.
Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT FL370 ENRTE TO MEMPHIS. ZME DIRECTED US TO DSND TO FL320. THE CAPT HAD STEPPED OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND MANNING THE RADIOS. I CALLED OUT OF FL370 FOR FL320 AND BEGAN THE DSCNT. I LEVELED AT FL320 JUST BEFORE THE CAPT RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. HE QUESTIONED WHY WE WERE AT FL320. I IN TURN CONFIRMED OUR ALT WITH CTR. CTR SAID THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL330, AND THAT WE COULD EITHER CLB OR DSND TO EITHER FL330 OR FL310. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT INTO MEMPHIS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: OUR CALL SIGN ENRTE TO MEMPHIS WAS 'ACR X HVY.' THE ALT THAT I SET IN THE WINDOW WAS FL320.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.